Saving Grace
by scrappy12
Summary: Not wanting be the tween queen and caught up in controversy, Juliette Barnes finds herself at a crossroads in her career and life. From the girl that didn't believe in love, Juliette finds there's a lot to life she has yet to experience with the help of Avery Barkley. Joined together by mutual attraction and friendship, the two set out to create an album they'll never forget.


**Hello to all,**

**So this is my first ever Juliette/Avery fanfic. I've written for other couples, so I'm not a newbie all together. I really love the dynamic these two simply because HP and JJ play them so well. This chapter basically picks up where we left off last in the series with Juliette getting an offer from a music exec in Los Angeles to record "Don't Put Dirt on My Grave Just Yet" and in the fresh stages of Juliette and Avery's relationship. Now in this chapter, they'll deal with what exactly they are to each other in some form. I hope you like and will give me feedback on whether to continue on or not.**

* * *

** Saving Grace**

**Chapter One- Say Something Crazy**

Turning the key, Juliette opened up the door to let herself in to her house. Taking in the sights of her spacious household that had brought more lonely nights than a home feeling that she had hoped for, Juliette breathed a sigh of relief as some part of her wanted to be in familiar territory. Walking further inside, Juliette raised her sunglasses up on top of her head, surveying the house once more before she was torn away from her thoughts by the sound of Avery coming in. Smiling on at her with his 'everything is good' mentality, Juliette swore he was the most optimistic person she's ever met. Grabbing her hand, Avery led her over towards the sofa to take a seat.

"How's it feeling?" Avery asked

"It feels like me being in my house" Juliette replied as she was unsure of what to say

"I mean by you being back" Avery said

"I gave you your furniture back, I'm still not understanding why I got the boot?" Juliette questioned

"You didn't get the boot, I just couldn't allow you to hide away anymore. You're entitled to live your life and live in this house. Those are things that no one can take from you" Avery said as Juliette got up from her seat to head in to the kitchen

"You sure about that? Jeff tends to think I'm of the renting persuasion" Juliette replied as she grabbed a bottle of water out of the fridge and began to head back towards the living room

"Jeff doesn't know what the hell he's talking about. Those were pure scare tactics to make you submissive" Avery replied

"Submissive isn't something I do, but it's not like he didn't have a point. I mean I have to start thinking long term and with the backlash being this severe, I'm beginning to wonder when the hit financially will really take hold" Juliette said

"You don't come across as the person that blows money" Avery said

"I've had a few careless mistakes, but still the long term is always present, if that makes any sense" Juliette said as she took a seat next to Avery once more "Growing up where money was rare, once you get it, you tend to not want to give it back" she sighed as Avery could clearly see the frustration begin to weigh on her

"I guess I never thought of it that way" Avery replied as he rested his hand on her thigh

"And now I'd give anything not to think of it, but I have to. I'm losing my mind, I can feel it. I'm morphing back into that girl again" Juliette said

"What girl?" Avery asked

"….the girl that felt suffocated in the mobile home parks of Alabama" Juliette said as she stared off in to the distance, going to a darker place that Avery had only seen a handful of times, enough to know that she much darkness in her than she cared to let him know about.

"What's so wrong with that?" Avery asked as Juliette looked on at him "It's not something you can erase so easily…" he began to say

"It wouldn't be from lack of trying" Juliette quickly replied as Avery could tell it was a subject that should be treaded lightly "….I have no desire to be that girl again" she told him

"….you don't have to be anything that you don't want to be" Avery said as he caressed her face, indirectly causing her to take the walls down that she would attempt to put up whenever she felt he was getting too close. Letting a weak smile slip, Juliette sighed once more as she preoccupied herself with avoiding his eye contact, hoping not to have scared him with her insecurities.

"I'm actually glad to be back on my own sofa, with my feminine pillows and all" Juliette teased as Avery couldn't help but laugh "This Avery Barkley is what comfort feels like" she stated as he continued to laugh as she moved closer towards him, finding distance hard to keep with him

"And they look mighty fine on this sofa, as in your sofa, but on my sofa…." Avery began to say

"You mean you're worn sofa. The one that creaks every time you move on it. You must've had that thing forever" Juliette laughed

"Sofas are made for comfort. You're supposed to be able to fall asleep with ease and let the woes of the day fall to the wayside when you sit on the sofa" Avery said

"According to Avery Barkley standards" Juliette smiled as they looked on at each other "What else are sofas made for?" she asked in a seductive tone that let him know that she meant something else

"I think…." Avery said as before he leaned towards her to pull her slightly by the waist "I can show you, better than I can tell you" he said as he leaned in to capture her lips. Moving to sit on his lap, Juliette ran her hands through his hair as she relaxed in to him, forgetting what troubled her but focusing on being here with him. Feverishly kissing, it seemed so effortless as their lips glided over each other, feeling as if their lips knew each other longer than they had come to realize. Breaking the kiss, Juliette began to kiss his neck while she aided in unbuttoning his buttoned down shirt until he assisted in pulling it off. Gripping on tight to the sides of her waist, Avery capture her lips once more as he pulled her closer towards him. Pulling the shirt over her head, Juliette tossed her shirt to the side before once again returning her lips to his.

Holding her with both hands gripped to the sides of her waist, Juliette and Avery enjoyed the sensation they both felt from the deep penetration. Pressing her forehead against his, Juliette begins to rock against him, slow and steady as she manages the feeling that slowly grows. Biting down on her lower lip, Avery begins to guide her in her motions as he slowly increases her pace just a tad. On and on they went, losing themselves in the sensations. Hearing her breathing become heavy, Avery becomes satisfied with the pace but is eager to test his limits with her as well as his stamina. Feeling the pace pick up, Juliette reaches out to grab the back of the sofa as her guide. Gripping her hips tighter, Avery starts to thrust deeply into her, thrusting slowly at first but quickly faster and faster. Resting her face in the crook of her neck, Juliette decides to meet his thrusts with her own, thrust and thrust into each other over and over again, their moans get louder and louder. Holding on every minute that he could, Avery rode the high as all he could hear were her whimpers of satisfaction ring loudly in his ear until they both reached their breaking points. Collapsing in to his arms, Juliette feels their bodies struggle to catch their normal breathing patterns.

* * *

Letting the water soak over him, Avery ran his hand through his hair as he took in the warmth of the water. Clearing the water out of his eyes, Avery lowered his head as he stretched his arms out towards the shower wall. Allowing himself to think over all that needed to be done in the day, Avery found that every bit of what he planned to begin and his day with all had to do with being around Juliette in some form or another. Was he really this wrapped up in her? Surely he could manage to get some playing time without it having to bring her along? He questioned himself over and over, finding his thoughts of her to be premature. Feeling a soft touch come to his back, Avery quickly turned around to see that she had invaded his thinking space. Smiling as she leaned up to kiss him, Juliette slowly pulled away as Avery wrapped his arms around her waist, allowing no distance to come between them.

"Hope you don't mind me joining you? I just figured we could kill two birds with one stone" Juliette told him

"No, no problem at all" Avery smiled as he leaned in to kiss her neck as she let out a laugh

"Juliette? You in there?" Glen called out from within the living room

"Is that…" Avery began to say

"Glen" Juliette quickly replied before she opened up the door to the shower, grabbed the nearest towel and stepped out before Avery turned the shower off as he too stepped out. Looking on to see Juliette putting on a robe, Avery quickly towel dried himself before slipping in to his pants that he had laid out on the bed.

"Juliette, c'mon. I have news to tell you" Glen said eagerly calling upon her

"Just a minute" Juliette replied as she made herself decent before heading out of the bedroom

"What were you doing?" Glen asked

"Nothing, showering" Juliette replied as she stood in front of her bedroom door, clearly not wanting it to open

"In the afternoon?" Glen questioned

"…I felt a little fat, so I just ran on the treadmill. It's really something I don't want to get in to….what brings you by? I thought you were venturing up to Las Vegas for a bit?" Juliette questioned

"I was until I ran in to Rocky Preston in the hotel lobby of the Venetian" Glen replied "Guess what subject came up?" he asked

"Let me guess, my Grand Ole Opry performance" Juliette sighed

"Yes!?" Glen said excitedly to Juliette's surprise

"While I'm glad to have stuck it to Jeff, I'm not exactly at a point of rejoice over the freefall of my career" Juliette replied

"No, he saw the performance and loved the song. He wants to fly you out to Los Angeles, record the record" Glen said

"Record the record as what? A single?" Juliette asked "As in a single off of his label?" she asked

"Possibly. He didn't get that much in to the detail but he wants to make record and put it out to test how the public will react to it" Glen said

"Well that shouldn't have to be a surprise, that'll just add to the bonfires I've encouraged over the past couple of weeks" Juliette replied

"Or this could be the opportunity you need to get you back on track and finally have people move on to it being about the music" Glen said

"Oh it's the music their burning" Juliette replied as Glen gave her a look "What makes you so sure this is an opportunity?" she asked

"Because word through the grapevine is that he's looking in to bring in a new female artist, and I just happen to think it's you. If anyone has the clout to make all of your troubles with the public go away, it's Rocky" Glen told as Juliette let the idea seep in a bit more

"When would I fly out?" Juliette asked

"As soon as possible" Glen smiled "What do you say?" he asked

"I say let's go to Los Angeles" Juliette replied a bit uncertain of how she should feel

"Great" Glen said as he eagerly walked up to Juliette to hug her "I'll call Emily and tell her to meet us at the airport. I'll make sure that she books that hotel you like out there" he said

"Okay, sounds like you've got everything handled" Juliette said as she remained front and center in front of the door

"Well I'll see you within the next two hours or so, don't take longer than that. The sooner we get there, the sooner we can get back to work" Glen said as he walked towards the door

"Sounds good" Juliette said as she anticipated Glen's exit

"Oh, and tell Avery he can come out now, I'm leaving" Glen said as Juliette became embarrassed with how Glen caught on before Avery slowly made his way out of the room to reveal himself

"Glen" Avery greeted as he too shared in the embarrassment of being figured out while Glen looked on at the both of them, figuring that something had happened long before he got there

"The inevitability finally caught up to you two" Glen laughed to himself before he made his way out of the house.

"Inevitable" Avery said as he looked on at Juliette with a grin on his face while she just rolled her eyes and headed back in to her bedroom. "So Rocky Preston sounds like a big deal" he mentioned as he followed behind

"It isn't. It's just Glen getting his hopes up" Juliette replied as opened her closet and began to put clothes out on her bed

"No, I think this could be the break you need" Avery replied

"I'm not getting my hopes up. I'm prepared for the bad and opting to be pleasantly surprised by the good, which will most likely not come of this. This is probably the goodwill opportunity they throw my way to say they tried to give me a chance, but my heathen ways wouldn't allow me to see the error of my ways" Juliette said as Avery laughed

"That's a bit Hollywood-esque don't you think?" Avery asked

"It's the business and the media loves it, makes for good super market reading" Juliette

"So what? According to your belief You'll be back in time for the Deacon's gig down at the Bluebird?" Avery asked

"Let's put it this way, I'll be there to catch the beer fresh from the tap" Juliette stated before putting her suitcase on the bed.

* * *

Feeling the effects of the flying beginning to kick in, Juliette began to wonder if she had been out of the game long enough to get the traveling woes under control. Making her way through the hotel with her signature aviator shades, Juliette was met with little protest from the onlookers that weren't aware of who she was. Allowing herself to think that maybe the hate had died down, Juliette quickly rid herself of those thoughts as she didn't want to get caught up in wishful thoughts. Making her way in to her suite with Glen and Emily trailing behind, spouting out important information that they felt she needed to know, Juliette began to realize this was more nerve racking for them than it was for her. While they continued to read, Juliette closed the door as they kept their faces buried in the notes. Grabbing the papers out of both of their hands, Juliette tossed them to the side as they quickly looked on at her.

"Hey, I wasn't finished…" Emily began to say

"I have heard non stop upon arriving, facts about the guy. Can I get one hour of time without interesting facts that I might or might not remember" Juliette said as she walked over to take a seat on the sofa

"We don't mean to make you nervous…." Glen began to say

"Oh, I'm not nervous, you two on the otherhand appear to be" Juliette replied

"That's because we know how big this can be for you and getting people to shut up" Emily replied

"I can't control what people say or think, and I frankly don't want to start" Juliette said before she reached for the brochure on the table "Can we book a deep tissue massage….ooh, this pomegranate wrap sounds interesting" she said as she looked on at the services that the spa had to offer

"You're not the slightest bit nervous?" Glen asked not buying Juliette's zen behavior

"No, I'm not. Why should I be?" Juliette replied "The song speaks for itself and I happen to think it's a great one that other labels should've been eager to record. Hell, I half expected Rayna to at least take a stab at it" she said

"You mean because of the Avery factor attached to the song?" Emily asked with a bit of a grin

"Don't give me that" Juliette replied, knowing what Emily was trying to allude to "The song is great, it's a mainstream hit as we know it. If Avery wasn't attached to it, it would still be a hit" she said

"But he is attached to it" Emily quickly replied as she took a seat across from Juliette "What's going on with you two?" she then asked

"Nothing" Juliette quickly replied

"Nothing isn't what I saw this afternoon" Glen said as Emily laughed

"I knew it. I knew when you were all shacked up at his place that something happened. This is good, this is much needed for you" Emily said

"Okay, you guys are blowing this way out of proportion. Avery and I….we're close" Juliette struggled to define

"Close that involves what was something involving a shower…." Glen began to tease

"Glen!?" Juliette scolded her manager for being so revealing with her personal details

"You guys weren't that discreet" Glen laughed

"Because it's nothing" Juliette replied "Look has something happened, yes. But I'm not going to sit here and get all goo goo over a guy" she said

"He's not just any guy, he's Avery Barkley, the only guy that's appeared to had an effect on you" Emily said

"Because he's actually genuine, which has a bit rare for me. We're whatever and I'm not defining it as anything but that" Juliette said

"But if you could, if you could say where you wanted it to be, what would you want it to be?" Emily asked

"You're pushing it" Juliette said as she looked on at her assistant while Emily just laughed, knowing that she could get Juliette to divulge

"You secretly want him to define what you two are" Glen said as he read Juliette's facial expressions that gave away so much without her realizing it

"You're just scared that if you jump in too fast, it may end too soon. Then there's the current state of affairs and you're afraid of bringing him in because then he might actually need to be battle tested to take on all that is you. You'll disguise it as you wanting to have fun in a crappy time, but Avery isn't that to you, he hasn't been for a long time" Emily said as she spouted theories while Juliette looked on at Glen and Emily disbelief

"Get back to work!?" Juliette declared as her only response as she quickly got up to flee the room

_**Meanwhile….**_

Looking on at the news, Avery leaned up against the counter along with the rest of the staff at the Bluebird. Still in shock as to what happened to Lamar, Avery's only thought was to how Rayna and her family, hoping that they were alright during this time. Looking over to see Deacon making his way inside without his usual guitar in hand for his set, Avery could tell that something was up. Making his way around the counter, Avery walked over towards the stage to join Deacon. Glancing over to see Avery, Deacon let out a sigh as he leaned up against one of the chairs behind him.

"I take it you've talked to Rayna?" Avery asked

"Yeah, little to minimal conversation but I'm almost sure that she's not taking this well" Deacon said

"Have they given any indication of when the funeral will be?" Avery asked

"This Saturday" Deacon said "So with that, you'll understand why I have to pull out of the performance tomorrow night" he said

"Yeah, no problem. I completely understand" Avery said

"How are things with you and Juliette?" Deacon asked

"Uh, good" Avery replied still feeling a bit weird being regarded along with Juliette "She's actually in Los Angeles right now, hopefully getting a deal with Rocky Preston" he said

"That's pretty damn good" Deacon smiled "You two made good music that night at the Opry, I heard you had something to do with that song" he said

"We wrote it together, but it was all her concept" Avery said "A song is only as good as the performer makes it" he said

"That is true, but a songwriter has to capture the performers strength. I've written with Juliette before and our songs weren't nearly as in tune with what you gave her, then to top off the producing quality you guys gave to the track. Hell of a resume you're putting together" Deacon said

"I'm not using her as resume credit, she's had enough users in her life for me to do that to her. I'm helping her" Avery replied

"Which I respect, but experience leads to a better resume when it comes to mastering your craft. You two got something beyond the sweaty plams around each other, it could be pure music magic if you take the chance on it…and that'll be beneficial to you both" Deacon told him as Avery took in what he was saying

"I just gave the song the base of it's potential. Rocky is going to put her where she needs and wants to be at. I simply aided in the rough draft that he'll perfect in to landing a talented artist out of her" Avery replied

"You're selling yourself short. I know what I heard and what I've worked with out of the both of you. You got something. You got something real good" Deacon said not willing to waver on his belief in the two .

* * *

After much schmoozing with Rocky, Juliette couldn't help but feel like things were going great in their dinner meeting. On occasion, Juliette would look over to see Glen breathing a sigh of relief that she was charming Rocky so, which she was glad to do so since Rocky could be key in her future. Not wanting the night to end at the restaurant, Rocky invited Juliette, Emily, and Glen to his studio as he was eager to lay the track down to hear how it would sound. Going in to his studio, Juliette was amazed with how advanced his was compared to what she thought in her studio back at home. Looking on at the array of musicians that Rocky had called in for the impromptu session, Juliette couldn't help but be impressed. Working in to the wee hours of the morning, Juliette was glad to hear the final play back of the song in its glory and while she was impressed, Juliette couldn't help but feel like too much was added to what was already a great song.

"That right there is a hit record" Rocky smiled

"It is, it is" Juliette smiled weakly

"So let's get down to business" Rocky said

"My favorite part" Juliette smiled

"I want to sign you. I want to sign you bad" Rocky stated as he looked on at Juliette

"I feel like there's a but coming somewhere in there" Juliette said nervously

"There's no but, just you signing on the dotted line. This record only proved what I knew you could be as an artist" Rocky said

"Juliette's sound is the new age of country" Glen replied

"That she is" Rocky replied

"Then you're aware with that, the baggage I come with. There's no way of avoiding it, so it's best to get out there on the table. I'm not exactly going to be a no-risk kind of signing" Juliette said

"This is Los Angeles, people don't care about that. All we care about is the music, what you do in your spare time is your business" Rocky replied "My main concern is making sure to keep putting you at the forefront as our newly added female artist" he said

"Don't you think that's a bit of wishful thinking? You can't make what the media says or do go away" Juliette said

"No, I can't but I can set you up in a nice place to help you block out the minimal Juliette Barnes hate we have out here" Rocky replied

"Set me up?" Juliette questioned

"Well with the contract I'd have you sign, I'd want you to start recording right away. In the studio and pumping out tracks to find the right fit for an album. Can't exactly have you commute back and forth from Nashville" Rocky said as Juliette looked over at Glen

"I just assumed that I could work out of Nashville…..but that's something we can figure out along the way" Juliette said as she glanced over at the television in the studio to see the breaking news of Rayna's father's death. Her attention shifting towards the television screen, Juliette couldn't help but immediately think of Rayna and her girls

"Is something wrong?" Rocky asked

"Yeah….Rayna James. She just lost her dad" Juliette said

"Yeah, I've sent over flowers" Rocky said

"I hate to cut this short, but I have to get back to Nashville. She was there for my mother's funeral….and I kind of want to do the same" Juliette said

"Of course" Rocky agreed as he agreed with Juliette's decision "I hope that this will give you enough time to look over the contract I'll have sent over, which with a funeral and all doesn't allow you to do so, but the sooner we get moving on this, the sooner you back to do doing what you do best. Even send some songs your way to get a head start on recording" he said

"That all sounds good" Juliette nodded in agreement

"I'm almost sure she'll sign" Glen replied

"But I need time to think about it. I mean, I like to look over things….it all is appealing to me, but again, I need to get back to Nashville" Juliette said

"Appealing for you to sign?" Rocky asked

"Appealing for me to sign" Juliette said as some small form of a confirmation "The logistics would be the only thing…." She began to say

"Look, I want to make the transition easy for you. I want to make sure that you get a fair shake as your own artist. The commute could be realistic for you, but it would make life easier for you during sessions that could have you finishing up at five in the morning and another starting at noon. Our producers have wonky schedules because of the demand and I'm telling you off the bat, I want you working with the top producers and songwriters on re-establishing yourself and branding you as the Beyonce-esque vibe of country" Rocky said

"Beyonce in country that almost seems like it's been done "Juliette laughed nervously" I don't quite think that's my…." She began to say

"Juliette is very innovative with her sound and is constantly pushing the envelope" Glen stepped in to say

"Which is very Beyonce of you. I know that's a bit much to label you as, but I have bigger ideas when it comes to you. Branding you to just one name, making you a mega superstar, cross over potential to country and pop. The opportunities are endless for a girl with your looks and your sound" Rocky said as Juliette was unsure of what she was hearing but with how excited Glen was, she felt as if he had some certainty with this that made things somewhat okay.

* * *

In his life, Avery hadn't been one to attend funerals, knowing what they all meant in the end from his father's need to expose him to the harshness of life. The concept of death as a whole, it was something he was never quite sure he could grasp completely. The funeral service was as to be expected, gloomy and filled with sadness with the occasional disturbance of Lamar's foes that spouted out hateful phrases. Finding most of the surprise coming from Juliette's appearance at the funeral, Avery could only be satisfied with the glances they'd share from across the church as they didn't want to be a disturbance. Listening on to the words of the preacher, Avery felt as if the funeral put him in the mindset to truly question life in general. As the service came to its end, Avery gave his best wishes before he stood off on the paved road, waiting for Juliette to walk over after talking with Maddie. Feeling as if the minutes were passing by slower than ever, Avery busied himself with conversations with a few of the other guests until Juliette and him found that they had worked their way towards each other. Deciding to grab a bite to eat and get out of the dressy clothes that were far more uncomfortable than they let on, Juliette and Avery found themselves in the likes of his favorite diner.

"I'm getting big improvements, I only got ten dirty looks on my way in" Juliette said with a bit of a laugh as the waitress gave them their drinks

"Gradual change" Avery stated "You ever get that sense that funerals give deeper meaning than what they originally intended" he said posing the question

"Beyond the end of someone's life, funerals have the tendency to put the clarity on a situation" Juliette said "Maybe even make tough decisions even tougher" she said

"What do you mean?" Avery asked as Juliette played with the straw to her drink for a few moments

"Nothing, I was just stating" Juliette replied

"How'd the meeting go in Los Angeles?" Avery asked

"It went good" Juliette replied "He wants to sign me" she revealed hesitantly as Avery smiled on at her

"That's fantastic" Avery replied "He liked the song?" he asked

"Oh, he loved it. Threw in a couple violins and a full band production to give the song a grander, conquering feel" Juliette told him

"Grander, conquering feel? What, like a gladiator?" Avery questioned as Juliette laughed

"Oddly enough, I thought the same thing when he described the vibe he was looking for" Juliette replied as she continued to play with her straw

"But it sounded good?" Avery asked

"It sounded good. I love the song, so it just has it for me" Juliette said "He said he wants to make me the Beyonce of country music. Make me cross-over material" she said as Avery looked a bit confused

"He used those actual words?" Avery asked as Juliette nodded "….that's, that's ambitious of him. Not that you can't reach Beyonce status, but….you're not Beyonce, nor should you be, you should be you. You sound pretty terrific as you" he said in a way that made Juliette's heart melt at his words of endearment

"While I appreciate your words, I can't really fault Rocky for being ambitious. He's taking a big risk on me and he seems to really seems to have the pathway laid out to my comeback. Top producers and songwriters" Juliette said

"Those are appealing" Avery said as he couldn't help but feel like his own belief in himself as a producer began to dwindle even more, knowing all that Rocky had done to the song and the direction he wanted to take Juliette in "Did you sign?" he asked getting to the heart of the matter

"Not yet, I wanted to come back for the funeral….and because I wanted to get your feedback on it" Juliette said as Avery looked a bit surprised that she would consider him in a decision

"It all sounds good to me, I mean it's what makes you feel comfortable" Avery told her

"It's not that I'm uncomfortable, it's the transition of Los Angeles that has me asking for your feedback" Juliette replied as Avery became a bit alert with what she was alluding to "He wants me to move out to Los Angeles during the process of making the album" she said

"How long will that be?" Avery asked

"It could be awhile, depending on the songs or just waiting for things to die down in backlash. A year for sure, maybe even more" Juliette replied as she studied Avery's expressions to see that he had a range of them, each looking confused and unsure, but nothing that made her feel certain that she knew what he was thinking "I guess a part of me wants to know if you think I should uproot my life and move to Los Angeles" she said

"Do you want to?" Avery asked "I mean can you leave?" he asked as they looked on at each other, knowing they each felt a certain way about each other but were too scared to let the other know, in fear of scaring the other

"I want to work again. I want to get back in the feel of making another album and finding a mature sound. I want to leave behind this image that people keep seeing me as" Juliette said

"By becoming the Beyonce of country" Avery stated as Juliette gave him a look

"I want the freedom to re-invent myself and career without having to worry about losing my tween fans. Rocky's label deals with a mature audience and gives me the built in market that could see me as more than the girl that sang Telescope" Juliette said

"Sounds like you've pretty much made you mind up" Avery said as he noticed the twinkle in her eye as she talked so highly of her needs

"Not completely, I'm just waiting for your feedback. I respect your opinion more than I probably should at this point, but I want to know what you think of me leaving" Juliette said

"….I think that it's not my place to tell you what to do" Avery said as he struggled with what he should say verse what he wanted to say

"Let's say you had the right to say so, what would you say? Would you tell me to stay or to go?" Juliette asked as she looked on at Avery with some glimmer of a sign to indicate how he felt or any indication on what he wanted

"I don't know what you want me to say, it's not like we're really dating…. I can't tell you what to do, nor do I want to. You deserve this opportunity and I'm not….I'm not going to stand in the way of that with telling you what to do because I think deep down you know what needs to be done" Avery said as he felt the need to put her desires before his own, not wanting any ounce of what he thought to come in to cloud her thought. Forcing a smile, Juliette played over in her head how she should play cool and not let her real emotions show

"I'm glad. I mean I completely agree, we're not dating nor have claim to each other. These past couple of days have been fun, friends having fun" Juliette replied

"Friends" Avery questioned with uncertainty as his interpretation felt a bit more as to what they were

"….because we're not really dating" Juliette concluded "So friends, friends that will be in different states come Monday" she said

"Friends in different states" Avery nodded in agreement before he grabbed his beer and began to knock it back "Can I get another?" he quickly asked

"Same for me" Juliette quickly added to the total as they both seemed effected by the conversation they just had, neither wanting to ask more of the other.

* * *

After dinner with Avery had gone so wrong, Juliette couldn't shake Avery's reaction to the whole record deal. Juliette didn't expect him to demand that she stay, but at least if he did, she'd know that he'd have some sort of strong emotion towards her not being around. To Juliette, Avery was a guy that was easy to be around and when they spent time together, they truly spent time together, which was new for her. To think he'd want that to end so quickly or so easily, Juliette wasn't quite sure of what to make of their time together. Tossing the covers back on her bed, Juliette looked on at the empty spot that'd be next to her, thinking she would've liked for him to sleep in that spot tonight. Groaning in frustration as she found herself going crazy over the thought of Avery Barkley, Juliette grabbed her cell phone and began to go through her contacts for a familiar number.

"Hello" Emily answered groggily, sounding as if she was still asleep

"So I told Avery about me leaving for L.A., can you believe what he said?!" Juliette began to say as she paced

"Do you know what time it is?" Emily asked

"Nothing!?" Juliette exclaimed "He pretty much told me to go, and that he wouldn't stop me because of some lame excuse of he wouldn't stand in my way" she said

"Well that was sweet of him" Emily said

"No, it's not sweet of him. It's completely lame" Juliette replied

"What did you want him to say? I mean he knows how badly you need this opportunity" Emily said

"It's in the way he said it, it's how it didn't phase him that I was leaving. Los Angeles isn't a hop, skip, and jump away. It's…a lot of miles away" Juliette said

"I thought you guys were friends?" Emily asked

"We are" Juliette replied

"Then a friend would support another friend in taking advantage of their opportunities" Emily said

"You're missing the point, he's supposed to at least have an opinion on the matter. He's not supposed to just so freely allow me to go" Juliette said

"But if he were to do so, then that would mean he'd have some reason for wanting you to stay. Dating reasons, but then, you two aren't anywhere near…." Emily began to say, using Juliette's words against her

"Okay, I get it. We're more than friends. We've been more for the past couple of days" Juliette revealed to her assistant

"That much I knew, the shower play that Glen spoke of was quite telling and then there was the whole you shacking up at his place" Emily said "So you two have been sleeping together?" she asked

"At this present moment, no. I'm sleeping alone. Other days, since the Opry, yes" Juliette said as she continued to look on at the empty spot in the bed "I guess….I guess I stupidly thought that we were more because we've done more than our usual. I thought he was different, I thought he was the guy that if you slept with him, he saw you as more" she said

"Did you tell him that?" Emily asked "Did you tell him that you wanted to be with him?" she asked

"No, I can't do that. I'm a mess right now. This whole drama I'm in is a mess. If I ask him to be my boyfriend or whatever I'm supposed to ask, go steady, then the media would go after him" Juliette said

"I've seen how he is around you, Avery lights up around you. You both get those dorky smiles and it's just so obvious" Emily said

"Well he wasn't smiling because he liked me, he was just smiling because he really see's me as a friend" Juliette said

"I think you should tell him. I think one of you needs to take the leap and just put it out there" Emily said

"I've taken the leap, and I'm not sure I can take another leap and fall" Juliette said "Maybe I need to get used to him being just a friend because being in Los Angeles, it'd be the best thing for me" she said

"So you're signing?" Emily asked

"I don't have much of a choice" Juliette sighed "That seems to be the motto in every aspect of my life" she said.

* * *

Early in the afternoon, Rocky sent over the songs that he had set aside for Juliette to work on. Not wanting to waste much time, Juliette planned her day around being in the studio. Going in, Juliette knew she wanted this album to really highlight what she wanted to strive to be as a person since so much of her life had changed in the course of a year, but it was the struggle of mixing Rocky's notes on the tracks selected with what she wanted. It was clear by the songs she had listened to, Rocky was trying to add more of a beat to the songs with small infusions of dubstep to a few tracks that he marked as his favorites. Groaning in frustration as she went through them, Juliette began to doubt if this was really what she wanted. Opening the door to the studio, Glen entered with his cup of coffee in hand while Avery followed in behind him. Smiling on weakly at each other, Avery walked over to Juliette to awkwardly embrace as their new term of friendship changed the greeting he had wanted to give her while Juliette was saddened of not receiving the kiss he had given her the past couple of days as he greeting. Sitting and listening to the music, Juliette thought to herself as she tried to find some way to make the song work for her, Juliette looked over to see a bit of confusion on Avery's as it was clear he didn't understand the song.

"What are you thinking?" Juliette asked as she kicked her feet up in the chair

"Is this all of the tracks?" Avery asked

"No, there's more but these are the tracks that Rocky and the producer selected for her and think she could really make something out of" Glen said

"I think I heard dubstep in a few of the songs" Avery said with a bit of laughter "Country doesn't have dubstep" he said

"Yeah, but there's the cross over appeal. She could potentially get a whole new audience that don't have country roots completely" Glen said

"Or I could sound like a fool" Juliette replied

"You wouldn't sound like a fool. Granted these aren't song we're used to…." Glen began to say

"No, I like dubstep. I just don't think my sound that I'm aiming for has dubstep to them" Juliette reasoned

"Is this the Beyonce appeal?" Avery asked

"Apparently" Juliette sighed "Do we have to use these songs?" she asked as she looked on at Glen

"He wants you on one of these tracks" Glen said

"I don't fit any of these tracks Glen!?" Juliette replied "These titles alone will make me seem like I'm trying to be something I'm not" she said as she grabbed the case to read the titles "How Y'all Doing. Dirty in the South. Texas Two Steppin….." she began to say

"You're from Alabama?" Avery asked

"Exactly!?" Juliette exclaimed "I don't want to be a r&b cross of country or dance cross of country" she stated

"There's not much I can do. I mean these are the songs, these are the songs that he's given and if we come back saying that we don't want to, he'll…." Glen began to say

"Begin to think I'm a diva" Juliette concluded "Is that what you were going to say?" she questioned

"I wasn't going to say that" Glen replied "Look, we have to make the best of this. Avery, is there anything you can do, maybe tweak it a bit?" he asked looking over at Avery. Turning her attention towards Avery, Juliette expected him to voice his opinion, rip it to shreds as she had because some part of her knew that he knew there wasn't anything he could do to make this anything like she wanted it to be

"…I could try" Avery said as Juliette just laughed in disbelief, not expecting Avery to go along with it so easily "What?" he asked as he looked over at her

"Nothing, I was just thinking maybe we can add a rapping solo while we're at it. Call Big Sean, see if he can do a feature while we're venturing in to dubstep and rap" Juliette said sarcastically as she looked on at Avery and Glen

"What do you want to do?" Avery asked

"I want you to have an opinion!" Juliette exclaimed "I want you to say something as you have time and time before, but this time, I want you to say something that shows your passionate" she stated as they glared on at each other in the heat of the moment, realizing that this was going beyond just the music

"Can we have a moment?" Avery asked Glen

"Avery, we've really got time working against us…" Glen began to say

"Glen, give us a minute" Juliette quickly stated as Glen looked from Juliette to Avery, realizing that they were in need of a talk with each other

"Fine, I'll be outside making phone calls" Glen said before he made his way out of the studio. Making sure that he was gone, Avery looked over at Juliette

"What's going on with you?" Avery asked

"Isn't easy to tell friend?" Juliette asked as she got up from her seat

"No, it's basically you biting my head off. I get the songs aren't what you expected but I'm going to try my best to suit them for you" Avery said

"This isn't about the songs Avery!?" Juliette exclaimed

"Then what is it about?" Avery asked

"This is about your inability to say something" Juliette said

"What am I supposed to say?!" Avery replied as Juliette was the only person that could drive him halfway crazy "Last I checked, you're fully capable of making your own decisions" he said

"And last I checked, you always had something to say, whether you said it or not, you always had an opinion, you were like that annoying advice column that was there whether you wanted to read it or not. But ever since I told you about Los Angeles, you've gone mute on your advice columns" Juliette stated

"I told you what I thought about Los Angeles" Avery replied

"No, you told me what I wanted to hear. You never told me what you thought" Juliette said

"Because I don't have the right to tell you to take this deal or not, I don't…." Avery began to say

"You do! You do have that right" Juliette said as her emotions shined through more than ever as she looked on at him with pleading eyes "You've had that right. I don't know when or how, but you've always said the things that mattered most to me" she said as a tension filled silence came between them "Tomorrow, I'm getting on the jet for Los Angeles and I'm not coming back to Nashville…" she began to say

"Don't say that. You have to come back to Nashville, this is home" Avery replied

"No, it's not home. It's a house in Nashville. It's a few good people in Nashville. It's a guy in Nashville, that frankly, I'm not even sure what I am to him…..but it's not home. I have had a home since my dad up and left my mom" Juliette replied

"You know how I feel about you" Avery replied

"I really don't" Juliette replied

"I care about you enough to not stand in your way" Avery stated "I'm not going to be that guy for you. I know the hell you've been through, and I'm not going to complicate things by being swept up in emotions" he said

"You've already complicated things for me, it just so happens, I liked it. I like your kind of complications because at least with yours, I see how genuine you are" Juliette said as she walked towards him, feeling her heart beating faster than ever in this moment "I have feelings for you, that much you know….and you have them for me, that much I know. But I want you to give me a reason to stay, right here and now? I want to know what you really think about this" she asked as she took his hand in hers, looking at him, begging him to say something. Looking on at Juliette, Avery raced through thoughts a mile a minute in his head and in his heart. He didn't want her to go but he didn't want her to stay for the sake of possible love, he had seen and done that too many times with Scarlett to do it with Juliette. With Juliette, Avery found that he wanted bigger and better for her, even when it came to him, he felt that she still could do better, even when most people thought it was him that could do better. There was a part of him that Juliette possessed and for the life of him, he didn't know how she got ahold it. Tears welling up in her eyes, Juliette found her jump of faith turning in to a free fall of tragedy. "Say something" she said softly as he stared at her, ultimately deciding that she had to come first with him. Leaning in to kiss her sweetly on the forehead, Avery let the kiss linger as Juliette clinched on the sides of his waist, hoping to not let go

"Go to Los Angeles" Avery told her before she slowly pulled away from him, hurting him more than he let on "I'll help you in any way…." he began to say before Juliette

"Just go" Juliette replied as Avery could see the pain in her eyes, immediately wondering was hurting her the best thing in his attempt to do right for her "Fine, I'll go. Since that's what you want, I'll go" she said before she walked over to open up the door to see Glen and Emily on the otherside listening intently

"Uh, we were…." Emily struggled to find a good reason as to why they were standing so close to the door, clearly listening in on their conversation

"Call the movers. Tell them pack all my stuff up, I can't get out of here fast enough" Juliette said before she stormed off down the hall

"Okay" Emily replied as she pulled her phone out

"These aren't the songs. I can't say that they wouldn't with much work, but these aren't her sound" Avery told Glen as he walked towards her "She's not Beyonce or any other diva, she's got a unique sound and this isn't it" he said looking on at the cd before tossing it in the trash on his way out.

* * *

Sitting on the sofa, Glen looked through his papers as he wanted to get a head start on contract negotiations. Knowing that Juliette was a bit high maintenance, Glen hoped to make things comfortable for her but at the same time help her realize that she couldn't exactly demand the same things as before. With this contract, Glen knew that Juliette would be starting out as if she was a newbie to the industry as she was just grateful to have another chance. Hearing the door open from her bedroom, Glen looked up from his papers to see Juliette dressed in her sweats and her hair up. Making her way in to the kitchen to grab a bottle of water, Juliette headed back towards the living room to join Glen.

"What are you still doing here? I thought you'd be halfway to Los Angeles, picking out a place" Juliette said as she sat on the sofa

"No, I'm doing the hotel route" Glen laughed

"I don't see how you can, it's so uncomfortable. No, a house will suffice. It'll make you feel less alone than what you really are" Juliette replied

"You're not alone" Glen replied as a silence came between them

"I hate this contract, you know that right" Juliette said "Starting over like I'm fresh on to the scene or in this case, some redemption story" she said

"Then why are you agreeing to leave for Los Angeles?" Glen asked

"Because I know how much you need this" Juliette said as Glen gave her a look of confusion

"Me? What are you talking about?" Glen asked

"Glen, I'm willing to fly back and forth to Los Angeles for this deal if it meant helping you stay afloat with the money you owe" Juliette said "And after my lovely conversation with Avery, I now just have to stay in Los Angeles" she said

"I don't need you to make decisions for me" Glen replied

"You're having trouble Glen, you need the money" Juliette replied "You should've asked me, but instead you got this deal, which I'm grateful for but I really wish you would've came to me" she said

"That's the last thing I would do" Glen replied "I'm not about to ask you for money, I wouldn't do that….I know you've had a lot of people come to ask that of you, but I refuse to be one of them" he said

"Well those other people aren't you" Juliette said

"If you hate the deal then we don't do the deal. I thought you liked it and were a bit timid because of the excitement Rocky had for you, that's why I pushed for it" Glen said

"We're doing the deal" Juliette stated "….I'm getting back to music one way or another, but most importantly, I'm taking care of family" she said "How much do you owe?" she asked

"I'm not going to say" Glen said letting his pride get in the way

"Fine, I'll just write a check and take it down there and tell them whatever debts they have with you, bring to me" Juliette said as she got up from her seat to walk over towards her purse

"It's too much to ask of you" Glen stated as he quickly got up from his seat to stop her "….it's not something I'm proud of nor wanted you to find out" he said

"I know now, so now…we fix it" Juliette replied as she turned to face him "I mean it Glen, we fix it. Although I don't wish for there to be a next time, if there should be, you come to me and we fix it" she told him sternly as she could see the embarrassment in his face "….I've lost and buried my mother this year, I don't want to begin thinking that I can lose you as well" she said as tears welled up in Glen's eyes as he looked on at the girl that was quickly becoming a woman in his eyes "Promise me" she told him

"…I promise you" Glen said as Juliette leaned in to hug him

"I should probably get some sleep. Leaving early means waking up earlier than I'd like" Juliette said as she let go of her embrace of Glen before walking back to her bedroom.

* * *

Slamming down the crates on to the counter, the noise was enough to pull Deacon away from his read of the paper. Looking over to see Avery shuffling about behind the bar angrily, Deacon could tell that something was up with him. Hearing moments of cursing, Deacon laughed to himself as he was sure that it had to do with Juliette in some way. Folding up his paper on the latest news about Rayna, Deacon folded up his paper and put it under his arm as he got up to walk over towards the bar. Hating the mess that was left for him to clean up, Avery couldn't help but get frustrated by the night staff that did little to make it easier for the morning shift. Cursing left and right, Avery turned to see Deacon sitting at the bar with a slight grin on his face. Knowing that grin was possibly leading to him inquiring about his state of emotions, Avery just shook his head as he didn't want the Deacon Claiborne analyzation.

"Nope, no way" Avery replied "I'm fine" he said

"Clearly you're not or else you wouldn't be slinging around perfectly good crates" Deacon said

"These crates were stacked behind the bar, when they should've been back in the cupboards, where they're supposed to be. So I have to sling them around because…." Avery began to explain

"You do realize that I don't give a damn about those crates, right?" Deacon asked

"Then why ask…" Avery began to say

"Those crates are getting the brunt of what is causing you to be so upset" Deacon said "Now, it doesn't take much to realize that since we talked last, whatever may be bugging you has to do with Juliette. So let's stop the crate brutality and get to the source of the problem" Deacon said

"I don't want to talk about it" Avery griped

"So you want to what? Continue picking on a crate?" Deacon asked "Did she get the contract?" he asked as Avery just gave him a look

"She got the contract, it's just she wants me to tell her what to in regards to moving to Los Angeles for the contract. I say yes, go to Los Angeles because this could help her and I'm all of sudden on her crap list because of it" Avery replied

"So let me get this straight, she asked you to tell her what to do in regards to Los Angeles, you tell her go because it's the noble thing and now you're on her bad side" Deacon concluded from what Avery told him

"Basically" Avery added

"Son, you've got to be pretty dumb to not see the trap you were caught in" Deacon said "She basically tested you. She didn't want to go, she wanted you to give her a reason to stay" he said

"I get that, but I can't give her a reason when I think she should go because then she'd be able to get back to doing music" Avery said

"You young people have got to be the dumbest in this day and age" Deacon sighed as he massaged his head "Let me explain this to you. She gave you these ultimatums because she wanted some indication of feelings" he said

"I got that, but again…." Avery began to say

"No, don't tell me that. Tell me what you said that had nothing to do with her, but everything to do with what you felt and what you want from her" Deacon said as Avery stood silent "….because you were being noble, right? You told her to go in the attempt of being noble" he concluded

"I truly think she's upset because those songs the label sent her sound like crap. They want her to be some mix of Beyonce but the country version" Avery stated

"Is that possible?" Deacon thought for a moment

"I don't know, but she's not anything near what those records sound like" Avery said

"Well, I don't know. I think Juliette taking on this Beyonce vibe could be good. What is it, uh oh, that she says?" Deacon asked

"That's not her sound" Avery replied "She's got this Colbie Cailat sort of vibe but with a bit of sass. Her best singing is when she has vulnerability in her tone, acoustic without the production behind her" he explained with much passion while he spoke that only made Deacon glad that he proved his point

"For someone who thinks they're not talented enough, you sure have a pretty good idea of what to do with her voice" Deacon said

"I've been playing guitar for her for some time, I happen to pick up on a few tendencies" Avery reasoned

"You're a fool to think that you and you can't produce her" Deacon said

"It'd be a big risk if she even thought of going with an unknown as her producer, and then to top that off, what record label would she be under to release this imaginary album I'm producing" Avery said

"I'm not the brightest of human beings, I've done enough stupid things to understand that, but my biggest risks have been my biggest rewards. In this business, you only get ahead because of who you know or what you know, and as sure as I'm breathing, you know a lot more than you think. You have to stop waiting for an opportunity and start creating them" Deacon told him "Hey you, come over here real quick" he said to the guy coming from out of the kitchen

"What are you doing?" Avery asked

"I want you to get an apron or whatever necessary, call up whomever you had plans with, tell them you'll be covering this mans' shift today because he's going to be go off and gravelling to a stubborn blonde that may or may not kick his ass" Deacon said as Avery looked on at the guy in confusion, but was secretly glad that Deacon was giving him less time to think

"I can't just show up and tell her to not go to Los Angeles after all of this" Avery said

"Sure you can, a man pleading to the woman he cares for has made for plenty hit records" Deacon said as he dragged Avery towards the door.

* * *

Letting out a sigh as she looked on at the crowd of people begin to form, which only meant the flight was going to be packed, Juliette began to hate more and more that maintenance on her jet had to be done. Turning her attention back towards her gaming on her cell phone, Juliette tried to distract herself with but found that she wasn't as wrapped up in the games like she thought she would be. Hoping that Glen and Emily would stop with the business aspects of this deal, Juliette could only hope that they'd want to talk or entertain her for the time being. With things going as they were, Juliette knew this flight was going to be pretty long in silence. Forcing herself to focus on the game, that all but last for about two minutes before Juliette once again sighed in frustration. Just as Juliette began to put her phone away, Juliette looked on to see that she was getting a phone call from Avery. Laughing to herself, Juliette could only think this was his form of trying to smooth things over before she boarded.

"Is that Avery?" Emily asked as she noticed that Juliette had yet to answer

"Yep" Juliette replied as she quickly got up from her seat to throw her phone in the trash "Now that was Avery" she said as she turned to walk back to her seat

"I figured you'd do that" Avery said nearly out of breath as Juliette turned to see that he was walking towards her

"What are you doing here?" Juliette asked

"I came to give you a reason" Avery replied as he walked up towards her

"You're too late" Juliette smiled sarcastically "You may think that because we were whatever we were, that you can just show up and I'd stupidly listen to you…." she began to say

"I think you would and you will" Avery replied

"Well I'm not" Juliette quickly replied

"Flight 2287 for Los Angeles will be delayed another twenty minutes" The announcer said as Juliette cursed to herself

"Glen, can we please in anyway take the jet?" Juliette asked

"Juliette, listen to me" Avery said

"No, I'm not listening to you. I gave you the opportunity to speak and you opted, my dear friend, to give me the generic answer. So I'm getting on a plane to Los Angeles and you're going to shut up with whatever you have to say…." Juliette

"You shouldn't go to Los Angeles because that contract won't fulfill what you ultimately want, and that's to grow as an artist. You're not Beyonce. You're not dubstep. I know you're sound, I know the path you want to take" Avery said

"And how is that? What makes you think you know what I want as an artist?" Juliette questioned

"Because you kind of pick that up when you try to get to know you're girlfriend" Avery said

"So what are you saying?" Juliette asked

"I'm saying to not take the contract because I'll produce your record. We collaborate and create the record you feel proud to put out and not what's expected of you" Avery said

"Why would I trust you with something so big as my career?" Juliette asked

"Because I'm the complication you need" Avery said before a smile slowly appeared to his face, feeling a bit cocky

"You're pretty ballsy to say that to me" Juliette replied as she didn't give in to the smile "Writing songs and producing a record a completely different animal" she said

"I happen to think that I know you better. I know you well enough to bet that us together, we can create something unimaginable. All you have to do is trust me" Avery told her

"Could be the craziness worth taking a chance on" Glen said as he walked over towards the two, Juliette looked on at him to see that he was buying in

"I gave you a reason to stay" Avery said

"…not good enough" Juliette replied as she began to walk away, not liking the crowd that was forming around them

"I don't want you to go because I can't fathom you not being here" Avery stated as she stopped dead in her tracks "I'm not ready for you not to be here. I'm not ready to stop discovering what we could be together as a couple, with you as my lady" he said as Juliette turned to face him. For moments, they stood in silence looking on at each other.

"This isn't going to be an easy process. I mean you're asking me to give up a contract with a record label for….for what?" Juliette questioned

"To make the music you want to make and…..for me. Trust in me like I trust in you" Avery told her as Juliette stood in contemplation. Taking in the words that he was telling her, Juliette knew this was crazy; crazy to think that they could manufacture a record on their own. It was the crazy that people talked about as being fond memories, it was the crazy that would make others see it as a bad choice, but in that moment, it was the type of crazy she wanted to be a part of.

"Took you long enough Barkley" Juliette said as she walked towards him before he quickly pulled her in for a kiss.


End file.
